Official : Bendis gets both books

[Sacred Knight]

I'm sure there were. Like I'm not shy to point out I was overall a fan with the New 52 Superman structure. But I'm not going to sit here and tell you it performed vastly better. It didn't. It did same thing all initiatives after and prior to it did. Temporary bump, fall back to the mean. However the Kents being dead never perpetuated a damaging myth about the character, as I mentioned before. That myth being that he cannot function without that structure. So its gone beyond just being written poorly from time to time, which in of itself isn't the biggest deal in the world. Rather its being written poorly and consistently, to a degree that allowed said myth to develop in the first place. This isn't all on the Kents though, the marriage had just as much if not a larger negative effect overall here in regards to bad impressions of the character and it leading to bad tropes (dark/evil Superman, even if just in imaginary tales). But it started there with that initial idea that in his adult life, he needed some sort of extra grounding beyond his upbringing and his own developed love of his adopted homeworld.

[manwhohaseverything]

A valid point.

Edit - That said, I believe the Kents are vital to the Superman Mythos in so far as they give Superman his moral compass. However, they are background elements once he reaches maturity/lives in the big city of Metropolis.

Kents might be vital to superboy clark kent.(yeah!i am not a fan of grown adults encouraging a child to vigilantism. That's just bad )But, they aren't really necessary to superman. Even then superman exists as a concept not because of either his earth parents and skyparents. It's an idea of a working class man who decided he would not stand idly by while evil triumphs.

This is the essence of superman. A man who recklessly charges into action to defend those weaker than him because of instinct and choice, not knowing what it's outcome would be for themselves or others.
"there are stories about every hero. How they became great. Most have one thing in common. Their bodies moved before they had a chance to think. Almost on their own"


This is how clark jumped into save lois on instinct knowing very well that he might blow his cover in action comics #1 and superman #1. Especially, when his parents told him that people would be afraid of his great strength.Bursting shell was the limit to his durability, originally.
Oh! Yeah! What does all might and superman have in common? That's right. They are orphan champions of the weak.

[Yoda]

The trope is overblown and rarely used in good faith. It’s just an excuse to push a preferred status quo.

[Sacred Knight]

Its definitely not overblown. Hell the general idea was to make it into a major motion picture had the Snyderverse not died before it got there. But yeah I'll definitely use the examples to push a preferred status quo. I genuinely believe an orphaned, single Superman is a better platform in theory, so obviously I'll argue for it where appropriate.

[Blue22]

It seems like. Also Legion sounds like a finale.
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #12

Written by BRIAN MICHEAL BENDIS

Art by RYAN SOOK and WADE VON GRAWBADGER

Cover by RYAN SOOK

Variant cover by MATT TAYLOR

The battle for New Krypton is on! This powerhouse issue features the Legion confronting the greatest challenge of any era! With New Krypton on the verge of destruction at the hands of one of Jon Kent's deadliest foes, the young hero may have to make the ultimate sacrifice to save his friends, his family, and his heritage -- but it could lead to the start of a monumental new chapter in the future of the DC Universe! Long live the Legion!

SUPERMAN #28

Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS

Art and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO card stock

Variant cover by KAEL NGU

It's the Man of Steel's last stand in this final Superman tale by the team of Brian Michael Bendis, Ivan Reis, and Joe Prado! Superman comes face to face with an alien race that he desperately wants to help before it is too late. As the cosmically powered race known as the Synmar aim their deadly power at the Man of Steel's adopted planet, Superman finds himself pushed past anything he has ever faced! Get ready to experience a powerhouse moment for Superman that's been years in the making!

HALLELUAH! Get this man OUT!

Of all the things he's done, I think the only ones I didn't hate were that United Planets idea, and bringing Conner and Kara back into the mix (Though I'm pretty sure the former was gonna happen anyway. Conner's return was foretold LONG before the dreaded "Bendis is Coming"). But everything else? Get it OUT!

[Vordan]

Hopefully they keep Red Cloud and the Invisible Mafia. I like the expansion of Metropolis’ criminal underground, not a fan of Intergang being the only crime gang in town.

[Blue22]

Admittedly, his Action wasn't as offensively bad as his Superman. Bendis' bread and butter has always been the street level crime stuff. I just wish he'd stick to his niche. Every time he tries to break out of it, we get House of M. We get his X-Men run. We get Civil War 2. We get Superman. Dude needs to watch High School Musical and really take in that status quo song XD

Where's Naomi at? That was actually really good. Bring that back and keep him there. Hell, I wouldn't mind seeing him on some low level Batfamily stuff too (Just...keep Damian far away)

[Vordan]

Bendis on Nightwing would be great honestly. Dude wrote Dick well in Batman Universe.

[Sacred Knight]

Hell I loved his Action run until all the nonsense gimmicks started. The general set up of fighting the Invisible Mafia and a new villain? It was at the very least solid. Superman was more of a mess, but I even had some fun there at first despite Zaar being and staying uninteresting. There was at least some fun fight sequences and some Kara interaction which I always enjoy. His Legion ideas, the secret ID removal, that stuff was all just killer though. It all collapsed right there for me.

[Yoda]

Its definitely not overblown. Hell the general idea was to make it into a major motion picture had the Snyderverse not died before it got there. But yeah I'll definitely use the examples to push a preferred status quo. I genuinely believe an orphaned, single Superman is a better platform in theory, so obviously I'll argue for it where appropriate.

That general idea was in a rejected script that never made it anywhere. It was not about to make it into the Snyderverse. Most people leave that bit out when citing it as an issue. Similar to how Injustice and Kingdom Come there's a lot more to his fall than just "Lois dies." Again, the solution to bad writing isn't rejecting having him involved with Lois or the Kents alive. It is definitely blown out of proportion.

[Sacred Knight]

If that's the case with BvS forward then I'll happily relent there. I thought it was definitely to be part of the subplot that in the Knightmare timeline Lois died and Superman succumbed to anti-life because of it. But if that didn't even make the cutting room floor, okay. The other stuff I see too strong of correlations. Happy to agree to disagree there. And I'm not saying any of this is Lois's fault. I don't want her dead. Just in a similar way, I think the marriage hurts the character as the Kents do outside of his boyhood. Not to mention Lois herself. In a consistent manner, not just occasionally. I don't think its been written well since at least the end of Loeb/McGuinness.

Which leads the reiteration that for me its more than just about occasional bad writing to me. Its when its consistent and a trend shown of not being able to do it well after any given amount of time. That's how I feel with the Kents being alive. Others surely disagree and I respect that. If one issue, one run, does something bad that doesn't necessarily automatically damn a concept for me. That happens, I get that. That's not where I'm coming from. I feel its been consistently used badly in the modern era of comics. And throw in the fact that I just think it worked better for the first 50 years than it ever did the last nearly 30.

[manwhohaseverything]

I don't care either way if he is married or not.It's irrelevant as far as i am concerned. But, superman being linked to kents is utter nonsense and should be put to a rest.Superman is modeled after moses, circus strongman and gladiators/slaves for pete sake.He is as orphan with nothing as they come. The guy being an upper middle class dude with everything and anything that too with the complacency thing going for him is grating. Especially, when i read it together with either for the man who has everything or superman's return to krypton book or goldenage books. Lex is more of a protagonist than Superman. The guy is written to stand on his own two feet. Regardless of what anyone might think. The general perception of the character is that of naive good father figure who lacks conviction, resolve to act, generally is lazy, complacent and boring. Dead or alive kents shouldn't be part superman adventures as moral authority figures. Period. Especially, when all they have to offer is platitudes. This goes for superman as well. Are we really 3 year olds to be impressed by such "wisdom" as "be good"?Combined with, The entire "i hold back" thing, especially when people give it their all screams of someone who thinks little of human capacity. As i said, i would want goku to kick his ass. Its easy to not want to root for him. He is a wet towel. He has no personality. He doesn't have grit, resilience or the ability to persevere. This guy is no champion. So, i don't care if kents are alive or dead or whether he is with lois or not.But, a superman who isn't a champion ain't superman at all.That's my main problem with the whole kents being there giving their irritating speeches. This kind of status quo can only produce weak and mediocre stories like superman man of tomorrow comics or they have have to make his son the protagonist. Clearly, the kid has more of a personality than the old man.

[Blue22]

It may just be me being tired of seeing the dead parents cliche in superhero stories But I actually like that the Kents are alive, happy, and supportive of their son and his accomplishments. Do they need to be a constantly hovering moral compass for him to go to every time he's in need of support or guidance? No. Of course not. But I do like that they are a presence in his life again as supporting characters.

[Celgress]

Bendis on Nightwing would be great honestly. Dude wrote Dick well in Batman Universe.

I agree with you. Bendis needs to be on a street-level book, IMO.

[manwhohaseverything]

It may just be me being tired of seeing the dead parents cliche in superhero stories But I actually like that the Kents are alive, happy, and supportive of their son and his accomplishments. Do they need to be a constantly hovering moral compass for him to go to every time he's in need of support or guidance? No. Of course not. But I do like that they are a presence in his life again as supporting characters.

I don't care for fluff, especially when the character's integrity is being taken away. There is a core to the man who has everything. This just butchers it.People have really taken apart superman as a character who was built to be the champion of the oppressed . What's next? Making him a billionaire. If i begin to see real superman in more of a black adam promo. Then that situation is really messed up.

"5000 years ago kahdaq was a melting pot of cultures, wealth and power. Yet, most of had nothing but chains on our necks".